


Tis the Season, Motherfucker!

by bastard_birb



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Dad Sarge, Domestic Fluff, Dr. Church isn't completely terrible, F/M, Family Dynamics, Gen, Humor, Junior is the best, Just some holiday nonsense, Lopez & Grif & Kai are siblings, M/M, Other, Prompt Fic, carwash siblings, discord prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:35:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22128043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bastard_birb/pseuds/bastard_birb
Summary: Caboose likes snow. Church hates early mornings.
Relationships: Butch Flowers | Agent Florida/Sarge, Dexter Grif/Dick Simmons, Felix | Isaac Gates/Locus | Samuel Ortez, Franklin Delano Donut/Agent Washington, Kaikaina Grif | Sister/Lavernius Tucker, Lopez/Sheila (Red vs. Blue), Michael J. Caboose/Leonard L. Church
Comments: 17
Kudos: 53





	1. Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Hoping to get this fully complete within the next week or two. Stay tuned!!

“Church! Church, you need to look outside!”

Church groaned and tried to hide under his pillow. Unfortunately Caboose would not be stopped this morning. The other man quickly pulled the pillow off of Church’s head and smiled down at the perpetually grumpy face of his boyfriend. “Caboose, I swear to God if you woke me up before 10 am again I’m gonna have a fucking aneurysm,” he grumbled.

Caboose quickly checked the clock on the dresser. “I remembered, Church. It is only 10:45 am,” he said proudly. That was probably the best Church was going to get.

“Alright, I’m up. What the hell did you want me to look at?” He got up to pull on one of Caboose’s hoodies and followed the other out into the living room of their apartment. Caboose was bouncing a bit as he gestured to the open blinds of their balcony.

“Look! It finally snowed like I wanted!” Caboose went closer to pet Freckles, their great dane, who was watching the snowfall. He heard Church let out a small groan and moved back to hug the other man. He knew Church wasn’t a big fan of the cold, but he was definitely a fan of Caboose’s hugs (despite how much he’d gripe about it if they were in public). “It snowed just in time for the Sergeant's party. Do you think Grif will teach me how to make snowmen like he does?”

Church smiled, content to bury himself in Caboose’s arms. “I’m sure he will. Just ask nice or bribe him with some snacks.”

“I will go fishing for a Grif with an oatmeal cream pie,” he said seriously.

Church snorted at the thought of Grif being captured and led outside to make snowmen by Caboose dangling a Little Debbie in front of his face. Tucker would probably get a kick out of it. Freckles’ barking interrupted his train of thought. Caboose gently set Church down.

“I will go take Freckles out for a while. Do you think Sargent will mind if we bring him along? Please, Church? Freckles promises to behave, right?” Freckles barked twice and moved to stand beside Caboose, his tail lazily wagging. Church looked between his boyfriend and his giant dog. The smile on Caboose’s face could melt a goddamn glacier.

Tex was right when she told him he was whipped.

“Yeah… I doubt he’ll care. I’ll call Sarge and get ready to go over. You and Freckles go have fun in the snow. Just… for fuck’s sake, don’t drag a ton of that shit into the apartment. I don’t wanna be walking through cold puddles, got it?”

Caboose lit up and Freckles wagged his tail faster. “Thank you, Church! We promise not to make a mess! C’mon, Freckles!” The dog bounded after its master, pacing and scratching the door while he waited for Caboose to put on his boots and coat.

“Damnit, Caboose, take your hat and gloves! I’m not babying you if you get sick!”

“Okay, Church!”


	2. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aren't little sisters the best? Kai thinks so. Grif would say otherwise.

Something smacked Grif in the face, rudely interrupting his dream about Simmons (wearing only an apron) making him a molten chocolate lava cake. He tried to bat away the object, but it kept coming back. He grumbled incoherently and tightened his grip on what he thought was his pillow.

“Get off of me, fat-ass, I have to piss!”

Grif grumbled in his sleep, complaining about someone stealing cake. Simmons glared at his husband and tried to claw his way out of the man’s grasp. Say what you will about Grif, Simmons knew too well that if Grif wanted something done it would get done. Apparently right now he wanted Simmons glued to the bed with him. Goddamn Grif’s need for cuddling every night.

“Grif, I swear I’ll piss right here in bed if you don’t let me go!” he shouted.

The larger man lazily opened one eye and glared as best he could while half asleep. “Don’ be gross, Simmons,” he slurred, voice still sounding sleepy.

Simmons swore some more, then let out a yelp when Grif let go and sent his husband tumbling to the floor. Instead of arguing with Grif in the moment Simmons made a mad dash to the bathroom. Grif took the opportunity to stretch out fully on the bed, enjoying all of the space to himself coupled with the warmth under the covers. He was slowly drifting back to sleep when something soft smacked him in the face. Grif yelped and flailed before realizing he’d been assaulted by a throw pillow.

“What the hell was that for?!”

Simmons glared. “For being an asshole and not letting me up.” He flopped down on top of Grif, who let out a small noise before settling a hand on Simmons’ back.

“You needed to wake up, anyway. We’re all meeting at Sarge and Cap’s place, remember?”

Grif groaned. “Do we have to? I mean, yeah it’s Christmas, but still. You know how he gets. He’ll just argue with me the whole time.”

Simmons did his best to roll his eyes while laid out face down on Grif’s chest. “Grif, he’s your dad. Of course you two are gonna argue.”

“You just wanna keep kissing his ass, don’t you.”

Simmons sputtered for a bit, which made Grif laugh and pull him into a quick kiss. “Relax, babe, I’m just teasing.”

“You suck,” Simmons said through a smile.

“You guys are gross.”

Grif and Simmons turned to their open door to see Kai standing there, one hand on her hip and the other holding her cell phone. Grif flipped her off and she returned the gesture. Simmons moved over a bit to allow Kai to sit on the bed beside them. She smiled at Simmons and plopped down on the other side of her brother.

“So what the fuck do you want?” Grif asked, tugging affectionately on a lock of his sister’s hair.

“I was gonna wake you losers up cause dad sent me a text. Looks like Dickie beat me to it.” Simmons blushed at the nickname Kai had given him. She smirked. “Anyway, I asked him if I could bring Tucker this ti-”

“ **YOU DID WHAT?!** ” both men screeched out in unison.

Kai made a face. “What?! Not like dad has much of a reason to hate him anymore. Besides, Tucker’s got Junior now. Technically you could say that’s his first grandbaby. Everyone knows I don’t want a little crotch goblin, but I like Junior a lot. The kid gets me.”

“Kai,” Simmons said slowly, “Junior is two.”

“And he’s the fucking coolest two year old I know.”

Grif scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fine, bring Tucker. But if Sarge pulls out the shotgun I’m running with my plate of food,”

“Nice to know where your priorities are, fat-ass.”

“Relax, kiss-ass. I’m sure you’d be right on my heels.”


	3. Guess who's coming to dinner?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junior is adorable, Wash does his best, and Tucker is a little shit.

Carolina had almost skipped her morning run, but decided she wouldn’t be stopped by a little bit of snow. Five miles and one wipeout on the sidewalk later (no one must ever know) she was jogging up the shoveled walkway of the house she shared with her brother, his boyfriend, and Tucker. It had initially been Donut’s idea to get a place together, and for a while she was hesitant. Growing up in a house of nearly all men (with her being the only woman after mom died) had been something of an adventure. Dad wasn’t too sure how to raise a girl and Wash and Church were very little help, what with them being her younger brothers. Fortunately, this time was different. Tucker had Junior to care for now, and was thrilled at the idea of being able to save money by living together (and having emergency babysitters on hand). Wash and Donut kept their PDA at an acceptable level and balanced each other out while also keeping her and Tucker level. Life was good, except when it was chaos. But even then, the chaos was sometimes fun.

She kicked off her shoes and walked, without limping, into the kitchen towards the smell of bacon cooking. Tucker was already at the stove making breakfast with Junior at his high chair. She smiled when Junior reached out to her.

“Lina! Lina!”

“Hey there, Junior.” She gently tickled him and said thank you when he mumbled some half words and handed her a piece of a cut up grape.

“How’s it looking out there? Snow didn’t stop you from running like a mad woman?” Tucker joked, flipping a pancake.

Carolina shook out her hair from its ponytail. “Of course not. You think a little bit of weather is gonna stop me?”

“God forbid you ever take a break. Seriously, did all of you get that particular stick in your ass from your old man?” Tucker flicked a bit of batter at her, which made Junior giggle as it landed in her hair.

Carolina made a face as she wiped off the pancake batter. “Please, I’m sure dad had it much worse. Honestly, I don’t know what mom saw in him.”

“You’re being too hard on him,” Wash said, walking into the room with Donut at his heels. “Before he had his own company I’m pretty sure I witnessed him smile once when we were younger.”

“You sure that’s not a false memory?”

“Carolina, I’m positive there’s photographic proof in his attic,” Wash said with a serious face.

Donut moved over to kiss Junior on his forehead and steal a piece of bacon from a plate near Tucker. “Are you sure he won’t come to Sarge’s place? He’s family after all. Yes, I remember your family is Jewish-”

“And I appreciate that you put up a menorah next to the Christmas tree and let Carolina and I do our thing,” interrupted Wash.

Donut just waved him off, always happy to bring in more traditions to their little family. “Of course! Anyway, I figured he’d want to be there and see you all. Plus, weren’t he and Sarge good friends?”

Carolina shook her head. “Sarge was friends with mom because they served in the military together. He and dad have met and been civil to each other, but I don’t think he’s comfortable enough being around someone who knew mom so well.” Carolina made eye contact with her brother, who suddenly couldn’t meet her gaze. She turned to Donut and Tucker, who also noticed this and shared her look of confusion. 

“Wash, dude, you wanna tell us what’s going on?” Tucker asked carefully.

Wash’s face poofed up bright red. Donut let out a small gasp and put a hand up to his chest. “David, you didn’t!” Donut said, scandalized. This caused Tucker and Carolina to raise their eyebrows at Wash.

“I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal! Besides, Cap will be there, so maybe he can be a buffer?”

Realization dawned on Carolina a moment later. “Did you invite dad to Sarge’s place today?!” Tucker’s jaw was on the floor, looking horrified, but it quickly morphed into a shit eating grin.

“Oh, your ass is toast the second Church finds out about this, Wash,” he said through a laugh.

Wash gave Tucker a menacing glare. “Don’t you dare text him, Lavernius,” he warned. Tucker was already slowly inching his way to the stairs, wanting to run up to his room for his phone. Church was going to lose his shit.

"Okay," Donut said calmly. "Maybe things won't be so bad. Sarge is a welcoming guy. I don't think he'd turn Dr. Church away just because they were never super close.

Wash was incredibly grateful for his boyfriend's optimism, though now with Tucker and Carolina's reactions he was starting to have doubts. "I just thought it might be a good idea to get him out of the-  _ LAVERNIUS _ !"

Tucker cackled madly as he made a mad dash up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door before Wash could catch him. Donut cooed at a laughing Junior. "Your dad is really sneaky, isn't he? You're too sweet to be that mean, right Junior?"

Junior smiled, babbled a bit at Donut, and grabbed his hand. "Donut, up?" He complied and picked up the toddler, dancing a little with him to distract from Wash and Tucker's shouting match. Carolina decided to make use of the unoccupied kitchen and serve herself breakfast before a shower. She could only hope that her brother and father wouldn't spiral into a fight this time.


	4. The more things change (Or don't)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A taboo topic is discussed, Sarge is trying to keep the peace, and Sheila and Butch just want everyone to get along. Lopez is content to watch the chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a hot minute, but I liked how it turned out. Nearly to the end!
> 
> All italicized words are meant to be in Spanish. I did it this way for easier flow and reading.
> 
> As always, all grammar and spelling mistakes are mine.

Lopez was almost happy that he wouldn't be alone with his father soon. Almost. He wasn't a huge fan of crowds, but stuck with the family traditions partly because Sheila convinced him it was important to stay connected (also because he missed them, but no one needed to know that). Lopez and his wife had been helping get the house ready for everyone else to come over, while Sarge and Cap were occupied with setting a few things in the oven to cook.

" _ Lopez, you've been glaring at the tablecloth for a few minutes now. Are you alright _ ?"

Sheila's voice took him out of his thoughts. " _ I'm fine. Just not looking forward to seeing so many people at once. They're… loud. _ " He kept glaring at the tablecloth as he set it out, relaxing a bit as Sheila came up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist.

" _ I'm sure you'll have fun. _ "

" _ Unless I smack one of them first, _ " Lopez deadpanned. That caused Sheila to laugh and chide him for that comment. Lopez couldn't help but think that with her here his family would be more bearable.

" _ Mijo _ !"

Speaking of bearable family members…

" _ What?! _ " he called back to his father.

"C'mere and help me out with some firewood, will ya?" Lopez sighed as he heard his father go out the back door. He slowly detached himself from his wife to follow.

Sarge was already chopping a few logs by the time Lopez got outside to 'help'. Honestly, he didn’t figure the old man needed any help at all judging from the sizable pile of firewood already beside him. Lopez stared at Sarge for a brief moment, then decided to dive head first into the issue.

“ _ Why the hell did you really call me out here if you were already done, _ ” he demanded. Lopez was never fond of his family’s need to cover up a tough discussion with some trivial task. Thankfully his sister and stepfather were never like that. He enjoyed them being so direct with him.

Sarge set the ax into the stump with a firm  **thwack** . He adjusted his coat and pulled out a flask from an inner pocket, taking a drink before speaking.

“ _ So this is one of  _ those _ conversations…, _ ” Lopez muttered to himself. Dread was already unfurling in the pit of his stomach. Sarge finally spoke in a hushed tone, as though he were worried someone might hear them.

“Look,” he began. “Y’know the rule when we got the Church gremlins over, right?”

“ _ Don’t mention Allison unless they mention her first. How could I forget. _ ”

Sarge gave him a small, sad smile. “Yeah, that’s it. Well, this time we probably won’t mention her at all, even if one of those brats says something.” He took another drink.

Lopez arched an eyebrow. This was definitely new. “ _ Why? It’s never been an issue before whenever we’ve gotten together. What makes today any different? _ ”

“Leonard is coming over.”

“ _ Oh, you’ve gotta be shitting me… Whose genius idea was that? _ ” Lopez’s words came with an accusatory tone, figuring that his father had something to do with this.

“Believe it or not, Wash was the one to call him and send the invite. Kid just wants to see his dad.” He handed the flask over to Lopez, who grumpily took a few drinks.

“ _ You know he and Church are just going to start another fight. I’m not tearing them apart and cleaning up the mess. _ ”

“Wasn’t askin’ you to,  _ mijo _ . Butch already convinced the man to come over early so he and I can have a little sit down before everyone else gets here. I’ll take care of it.” From the look on Sarge’s face it didn’t look like this was something he was eager to do. But for the sake of peace, and so Cap didn’t murder anyone for breaking one of his military keepsakes, it was something that would be done. “Now, you mind haulin’ these logs into the house and setting up the fire? I’m gonna cut a few more to use through the night,” he said with a smirk.

“ _ I knew you just wanted me out here to do your dirty work, _ ” Lopez grumbled. “ _ You still haven’t changed, old man. _ ” He handed back the flask before picking up a large armful of wood.

“Yet you keep coming ‘round to my house,” Sarge said through a laugh.

“ _ You can thank Sheila for that. _ ”

“Hell of a woman you got there, Lopez.”

He couldn’t help but agree.

* * *

Butch had set all of the food on a timer and was now occupying himself with Sheila and a glass of wine for each of them. He always loved these little get togethers. There was just something calming to him about being surrounded by so many lovely faces, even if on occasion those faces were spewing foul language at each other. But he supposed that was all part of being a family. Sarge had hardly changed from when they’d first met, and it really explained much of his kids’ behavior. Honestly, he loved talking to Sheila. She was a very no-nonsense woman who had no problems telling people what she thought about them. It made her an excellent partner in crime when it came to teaming up against their respective husbands.

“I’m amazed Lopez still needs to be convinced to come here. Seems like you two are always the first to arrive and last to leave.”

Sheila smiled into her glass. “Don’t tell Sarge, but Lopez adores being around you all. He misses his family, even if he’ll never say the words out loud to anyone but me.”

Cap barely stifled a laugh. “Like father, like son. It’s also not far from how Grif probably feels. I know for a fact Kai loves being here, especially since she grew up being cherished as the only girl among a house full of men.”

“No wonder she doesn’t take bullshit from anyone,” Sheila said, impressed.

“My thoughts exactly. Granted Sarge nearly spoiled her rotten, I was there to balance things out and make sure he gave the boys equal treatment.”

“You’re a godsend, Cap. Though I can’t imagine Sarge being overly affectionate and doting to anyone but you or Kai.”

Cap shrugged. “True, he can be a bit emotionally constipated but given the chance he opens up. At this point Sarge and his boys are more or less fairly close. Though they need to keep up appearances,” he said with a wink.

Sheila laughed as Sarge’s phone made a noise. Cap looked at the text and smiled, quickly replying with one hand and without looking at the screen. She often envied his ability to genuinely multitask, though that was probably thanks to his special ops training. “Good news, I hope?”

“Just a little update from Church. He asked if he and Caboose could bring Freckles. Might be cute to have Junior and the pup interact.”

“Freckles is hardly a puppy, Cap.”

“True, but it’ll be good for Junior regardless. Maybe that’ll convince Tucker to get a pet and give his son a fluffy best friend,” he said cheerily. Cap always did like to look on the bright side.

The two of them turned as Lopez came in, kicked off his boots, and set to work starting up the fireplace. It took them a few moments to say anything.

“I take it Sarge told you about Leo coming over today,” Cap said.

“ _ What makes you say that, _ ” Lopez grumbled.

“Nothing. You just always look ready to argue whenever your dad tells you something you don’t particularly like.” Lopez always found it annoying that Cap was so goddamn selectively observant. The man would either know the secrets of the universe or pretend he was both deaf and blind. 

Sensing a potential argument Sheila decided to step in. “Look, no one said you had to like the man,  _ mi amor _ . But we can at least be civil to him, right? After all, this is all coming from a good place.”

Lopez stared at his wife sternly. “ _ If he and Church start fighting I’m sitting back and taking bets on who comes out of it with a black eye. _ ”

Sheila let out a sigh. “I can accept that.” 

Another small noise had them all looking at Cap’s phone. “Ah, guess who’s here! You two put something on the TV and enjoy the fire. I’ll be back in a bit.” He got up to let in their first guest; by the sound of things it was Dr. Church who had arrived first. Sarge walked in a moment later, gave a nod to Lopez and Sheila, and headed straight for the front door to attend to his mission.

“ _ Five bucks says that Sarge either yells at him for being an idiot or Dr. Church screeches and throws a glass. _ ”

“Lopez!”

He smirked at Sheila knowingly. No matter what the outcome was, tonight would be eventful to say the least.


	5. A Step in the Right Direction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang's all here! Time for some good food, a snowball fight, and a few tough conversations. Ready for a little chaos?
> 
> Maybe more so than this crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally all here! If requested I can put a chapter on what Simmons and Church talked about. Or what Church and his dad talked about. Or both! Let me know if that's wanted.

Later in the afternoon cars started to arrive at Sarge and Cap’s home one right after another. There were brief hellos before Church grumbled about getting out of the cold. Freckles barked as the door opened to reveal Cap standing in the door frame with a smile and open arms. Freckles got there first, obediently sitting and waiting for a treat that Cap seemed to pull out of thin air. Tucker set down Junior once they got to the shoveled walkway so that he could toddle over to the man. Junior babbled excitedly when he reached Cap and was picked up.

“Oh, my goodness, look at you! You’re getting so big now!” He cooed at the toddler as the others made their way inside and shed their winter gear.

“Smells good in here, pops! What are you guys making?” Kai asks, giving Cap a small kiss on the cheek.

“I set in a large brisket, veggies, there’s some potato soup simmering on the stove, and I’ve got some jelly donuts ready to go in for dessert later on.”

“God, I love this place,” Grif said with a smile. “Cap, remind me to ask for your brisket recipe later on.”

“You’re not gonna make me cook that, are you? Just smelling it makes me worried I’ll fuck it up with a spice somehow.” Simmons wasn’t a fan of Grif’s food desires, mostly if it was one of Cap or Sarge’s recipes. Grif waved off his husband’s concerns.

“Don’t worry, Simmons, Kai and I can handle it. You can taste test.”

“Oh, thank God,” he said with relief.

Lopez and Sheila beckoned everyone to the large living room to say hello. After some greetings and introducing Junior to everyone (even Lopez and Church had to admit that he was adorable) Carolina looked around for a missing someone.

“Hey, Cap,” she asked warily. “Where’s Sarge?”

“Oh, he and Leo are down in the basement having a little chat. Nothing to worry about, Carolina. I’m sure they’ll be up soon!” He smiled without a care in the world as the rest of the room went silent.

“Wait,” Church began. “That old fucker’s here?”

Wash quickly stood up and spoke as calmly as he could to his older brother. “Church, hold on. I asked him to come here and-”

“You invited him?!” he shouted. Wash was starting to look anxious.

“I thought it would be nice to have all of us together like it used to be! I missed him, Church!”

That only made Church angrier. “He won’t  **ever** be like he used to,” he snarled. “Why can’t you and Carolina understand that? The man we grew up with is gone!” He pushed past his brother and stormed up the stairs. Wash looked deflated and sad. Before anyone else could chime in Simmons stood up and went after him. Grif barely got one word out before Caboose put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“Let them talk,” Caboose told him. “I think Simmons has a few things that Church needs to hear. They’ll be back.”

“You sure about that, buddy?” Grif asked cautiously. He was all too aware of his husband’s anxiety and didn’t like that Church had gone into ‘shouty bitch’ mode. Caboose only nodded.

“Yes. It will be okay, Grif. It’s just… Church… He doesn’t like to be… open,” he said carefully. “I think deep deep down he misses his dad. But he’s not… Church isn’t good with feelings, like I’m not good with words sometimes.”

Grif smiled at the reassurance. “I think you get by just fine, Caboose. I just don’t want Church to start screeching at Simmons.”

“ _ I hate to agree with Grif, _ ” Lopez chimed in. “ _ But the only thing worse than one screeching idiot is two screeching idiots. _ ” He looked down at the floor when the sound of muffled yelling could be heard coming from the basement. Definitely Sarge’s voice. “ _ Speaking of which… Sheila, you owe me five dollars. _ ”

“I never agreed to your ridiculous bet. Besides, Sarge is always yelling about something,” she defended.

“She’s got you there, Lolo,” Kai said with a smirk. She laughed when she saw her brother frown at the old nickname. 

“ _ Don’t you dare call me that in public again. _ ”

“Aww, what’s the matter ‘Lolo’. Not a fan of your nickname?” Grif asked. It was still a fun game to gang up on Lopez for a bit of lighthearted teasing. Lopez flipped off Kai and threw one of Junior’s shoes at Grif. That got the toddler to giggle.

“Okay, assholes. Before Junior learns to throw his things at people, why don’t we do something to distract from both awful conversations happening upstairs and in the basement?” Tucker suggested.

“Oh! I have an idea!” Caboose exclaimed. “Grif can teach us to make snowmen like his!”

“Pass,” Grif immediately replied. “It takes years to cultivate that sort of skill.”

“What if I gave you something for it?” Caboose asked.

“Like what?”

Caboose smiled and pulled out of his hoodie pocket a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie. Grif immediately set his eyes on it. “You think one of those is gonna cut it, Caboose? You’re gonna have to do better than that, buddy.”

Donut let out a small audible gasp when Caboose turned his hand to the side to reveal a total of three Little Debbies. Everyone looked from Caboose to Grif. After a moment of consideration Grif stood up, grabbed the snacks from Caboose, and moved to start pulling on his coat and boots. “Anyone who wants to play in the snow feel free to follow me outside,” he announced before heading out into the backyard.

“Caboose, forget everything I’ve ever said before. You’re a goddamn genius,” Tucker said, starting to gather Junior to get them both out playing in the snow.

Caboose beamed with pride. “I know. Thank you, Tucker.”

Carolina smiled sweetly as Caboose, Freckles, Tucker, Junior, Kai, and (surprisingly) Lopez all followed after Grif. This left her with Sheila, Cap, Wash, and Donut.

“You don’t want to join them?” Cap asked. “Might be a while before those tough talks end.”

Carolina sighed and shared a look with her little brother. Wash shrugged his shoulders. “Might as well,” he said. “Maybe we’ll get to see someone get hit with a giant snowball.”

“By someone he means either Tucker or Grif,” Donut added.

“Yeah, I guess it couldn’t hurt. Maybe we can even get a good snowball fight going,” Carolina suggested.

“Donut gets to be on my team.”

Donut made a face. “You only want me on your team because of my throwing arm. I see how it is, Wash.”

“Uhh...” Wash briefly looked panicked before wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and putting on his best apologetic face. “I love you?”

Donut rolled his eyes and kissed Wash on the forehead. “I love you too, dork. Now, let’s go see how good my aim really is!”

Cap watched the rest of them head outside, with Sheila trailing at the end. She turned back to look at him expectantly. “You’re not coming out with us?”

He shook his head. “I should go downstairs and make sure Sarge and Leo haven’t killed each other. God knows what they’ve been talking about, but judging from the yelling we heard earlier it couldn’t have been pleasant. I’ll get some coffee and coco set up by the time you all come back inside,” he promised. Sheila gave him a smile and followed after the others.

* * *

Once everyone was out in the backyard, Cap could hear the conversations happening in the house a bit more clearly. Simmons and Church were loud, but he could tell there wouldn’t be any physical blows happening. He believed that having Leo around is what upset Church, but hopefully Simmons would get the young man to see reason.

As for Sarge and Leo… Well… suffice it to say Cap didn’t have a good feeling about how that was turning out. He drained his second glass of wine before silently heading down to the basement. Cap mentally ran through his checklist of hidden weapons that were in the basement, most of which his husband didn’t know about, and deemed it a good idea to wait a few moments at the top of the stairs to quickly form a plan in case something went south. It might not be likely that the two men in the basement would physically fight each other, but better to be prepared for that outcome. Sarge and Leo could both be incredibly stubborn men, more so since they were both so attached to the late Allison Church.

Cap wasn’t jealous. Far from it. He had actually admired many of Allison’s qualities; namely her ability to keep most people in line when she needed them to be. Where Allison had been more loud and a show of brute force Cap had always been sneakier and tactful. He’d plant a seed with words that came out from behind a smile while she would growl at others and instill fear. Effective, but not Cap’s style.

Thankfully it seemed like the shouting was coming to an end. Cap relaxed, took a deep breath, and put on a soft smile while taking the steps down into the basement slowly..

“Look, all I’m sayin’ is that you should at least talk to the boy. Might give you better insight as to why he’s so pissed off at ya,” Sarge said.

Dr. Church pushed his glasses up onto his forehead and rubbed at his eyes. “I know why he’s angry with me, Sarge. That’s not the issue. The real problem is that I can’t get him to open up to me. Nothin’ I’ve done so far seems to be workin’.”

Sarge scoffed. “You sure you’re giving him a chance? Cause from what I remember, Church is damn near identical to how you used to be. Just a stubborn little bastard who never dealt well with emotional pain and decided to screech like a damn banshee at everyone.”

“I was never like that.”

“Please. You could damn near crack glass with how high your voice went! No wonder your parents never let you have a dog.”

“I think you’re missing the point,” Dr. Church said, voice a bit tense. Sarge chuckled and patted Dr. Church’s back, perhaps a bit too roughly. Dr. Church glared.

“Relax, nerd. I’m just messin’ with you.” He turned on the sofa they were sitting on to directly face the other man. “Guess what I’m tryin’ to say is that you and your boy need a chance to talk one on one. The times you’ve tried to talk in the past were out in the open, around a crowd of people.That might work with Carolina or David, but it sure as hell ain’t gonna work on your little clone.”

“Would it kill you to not call him that?”

“I think it’s sweet,” Cap chimed in, making his way into their view. Dr. Church jumped a bit, but Sarge just laughed as he was already used to the other man’s theatrics. “He’s right, too. You won’t get Church to open up in public.”

“Great, now there’s two of you to tell me I’m a shitty father.” Dr. Church set his glasses down on the coffee table and sat forward with his face in his hands. “Sarge… How did you do this with your kids? I mean… Kai is essentially an open book, but I can’t see Grif or Lopez spillin’ their secrets to you.” His voice was laced with desperation. Cap and Sarge exchanged a look. Cap moved to sit right beside Dr. Church and put an arm around his shoulders.

“Leo, you’re doing the best you can. You and Church just need a bit of time alone together. Get everything out in the open and hide nothing else from each other about how you feel!” Cap gently squeezed his shoulder. “If you want, I can lend each of you one of my collapsible batons just in case.”

“Butch, do you think my son and I are going to beat each other like piñatas?”

“Can’t hurt to be prepared for the worst, Leo!”

“Okay,” Sarge interrupted. “How about we just give you two the basement to hash things out like grown ups? You’ll have privacy and backup in case one of you idiots start throwing stuff or shoutin’ like a damned harpy.”

Dr. Church sighed dramatically. Cap and Sarge shared a victorious smile. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.” Dr. Church grabbed his glasses and put them back on as the three men went back up the stairs to meet everyone else who were warming up by the fire and laughing.

“Donut, you’re still a bitch for that cheap shot,” Church growled, annoyed.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Donut said with a laugh, cuddling up with Wash. “Not my fault your face made such a good target.” He reached over to fist bump Grif who gladly returned the gesture.

The conversation died down after Caboose got up to greet Dr. Church and Sarge. “Hello, Sargent! Hello Dr. Leo!” He pulled them both into a hug. Sarge laughed and clapped Caboose on the back while Dr. Church tried not to suffocate.

“Good to see ya, son! Glad you were able to make it!”

“Yes,” Dr. Church said once he’d caught his breath. “It’s good to see you, Caboose.”

“Leo,” Cap said gently. “Isn’t there something you need to say to your kids?” He reached out and gripped Dr. Church’s shoulder firmly so he wouldn’t try to run from the confrontation. Dr. Church cleared his throat.

“It’s good to see all of you here,” he said. Carolina and Wash smiled, even as they saw Cap tighten his grip. “Church… Can we talk? Sarge and Butch have offered to let us use their basement,” he said anxiously.

All eyes turned to Church, who looked just as uncomfortable. His siblings offered encouraging looks and Simmons squeezed Church’s hand. They would all be here for him just in case. He got up from his spot and stretched. “Might as well get this shit over with,” he grumbled. When he moved closer Caboose leaned down and gave him a quick kiss for luck. Cap reached into a nearby cabinet and pulled out two batons. He extended them and handed both Church men one.

“Here you go! Just in case the other tries to run away,” he said happily. Church looked between the baton and his father with concern before heading down to the basement. Dr. Church looked back at his friends’ grinning face.

“Why are you like this?” he asked

“I think that’s a question for another time, Leo. Go talk to your son.” Cap nudged Dr. Church towards the basement stairs, giving him an encouraging pat on the ass which made Dr. Church blush lightly. Sarge only laughed after both men disappeared downstairs.

“Should I be jealous?” Sarge asked.

“Hush. I married  **you** , didn’t I?”

“Hmm. Good point. Now,” Sarge said with a clap. “I guess you gremlins must be hungry from kicking each others asses in the snow?”

“ _ If you don’t feed me right now I’ll throw Grif into the fireplace, _ ” Lopez said.

Grif made a face. “Please don’t eat me.”

“ _ Why not? You’re big enough to feed all of us. _ ”

Sarge whistled to get their attention. “File into the kitchen and grab plates. Tucker, I can take care of the kid while you chill.”

“Yes, please,” Tucker said, relieved to hand over his son for a little bit. Junior happily went into the arms of his ‘Papa’, beginning to talk and babble about his time making snowmen and snow angels. Tucker would swear he almost saw Sarge cry with joy.

* * *

The kitchen and dining room was loud and crowded, excited voices sharing stories and embarrassing jabs. It took a good hour and a half for Dr. Church and his son to come back up from the basement. Church’s eyes were a bit puffy and red and his father didn’t look much better. Carolina and Wash got up to immediately pull the two into a group embrace. Church grumbled something that made Carolina laugh.

“This is called a hug, idiot. You get them from Caboose all the time.” She ruffled his hair.

“It’s awful,” said Dr. Church, a hint of affection in his voice.

“Shh. We’re all having a moment,” Wash added, doing his best to squeeze his siblings and father. “Don’t ruin it.”

The noise of several phone cameras going off made the Church family freeze before turning to glare at the rest of the crowd. Dr. Church turned his accusing glare at Sarge and Cap.

“This is all your fault somehow.”

“Shut it, nerd. We got you to hash shit out with your kid. Just get that stick outta your ass and be happy.”

“Asshole,” Dr. Church said, flipping off his friend. Sarge just laughed and got up to pull over another chair to the table. He gave Dr. Church a light pat on the shoulder, thrilled to see this sort of progress after one day. There would still be some things to work out, but Sarge was sure they had plenty of gatherings to help that progress along in the right direction.


	6. A Kind Gesture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felix does something unimaginable, Sam is both shocked and impressed, and Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now a quick tangent with our favorite mercs! This turned out adorable. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> All grammar and spelling mistakes are mine.

Holidays weren’t often celebrated in the Gates-Ortez household. This was typically because, more often than not, neither of them would have the day off together. At least not for more than a few hours. This year the universe would bless them with an entire week off for a little mini vacation of doing nothing and being responsible for no one but themselves. It was something of a miracle considering their occupations. Sam spent most of his time working with longtime friends Dr. Emily Grey and Frank DuFresne in the local ER as a nurse (God bless Emily and her love of him and Frank). Meanwhile, Felix was working long hours alongside Mason Wu making and installing security tech. It was always a pain updating systems and code, which more than once led to Felix launching his laptop (or nearest object he could grab) into a wall with a frustrated scream. More than once they’d been visited by a neighbor to check if everything was okay.

But now things were more relaxed. They could take their time this week. Of course, no work meant Felix was antsy and all Sam wanted was a good week of sleep. Unfortunately, it looked like today Felix was getting an early start. Sam lazily opened his eyes to stare at the bedside clock. 10 AM. Why the hell was Felix up so early? Getting up with a groan, Sam stretched and got out of bed to investigate and possibly throttle his husband senseless for waking him up. What he walked out to see had him too stunned to move for a few minutes.

Out in the living room of their apartment Felix had set up a small Christmas tree, complete with little string lights and ornaments. Small holiday trinkets were found on nearly every flat surface, including a small nativity scene that had a mini Snoopy figure with a Santa hat on his head. Felix was hard at work nearby in the kitchen wearing a bright orange apron and humming along to some electro swing that was playing softly.

Felix was cooking. He was baking. Isaac Felix Gates-Ortez couldn’t cook to save his life, yet here he was doing his best impression of Betty Crocker. All Sam could do was stare as his brain short circuited. It took a few minutes for Felix to notice.

“Hey, Sammy! Didn’t hear you get up. Wanna come taste test?” he asked with a wink. When his husband didn’t respond Felix walked over and waved a hand in front of the taller man’s face. “Helloooooo. Sam? Anybody home?”

Sam blinked and snapped out of his daze, catching Felix’s wrist. “Stop that. I’m fine.”

“Oh, good. For a second there I thought you were having a stroke,” he teased.

“Why are you cooking,” he demanded. “You never cook. Hell, you never make anything that can’t simply be microwaved.”

Felix made a face. “My cooking might be shit, but I can still follow a recipe. Don’t be such an ass or I’ll eat everything by myself.” He pulled away and went back to the stove. Felix had managed to find recipes for pozole with chicken and a chocolate fudge cake, with complete instructions on how to also make the frosting. Sam moved closer to the kitchen and eyed the pot of pozole.

“When did you get the ingredients for this?”

“I’ve been planning this since I got my week off approved. I stored this all with Mace so you wouldn’t figure it out.” Felix smiled, proud of having kept his surprise a secret. “I remember you telling me your mom used to make this for you, and I even remembered the peppers to turn it red.” Sam gently nudged Felix aside to sniff at the pot of food. He blinked and stepped back.

“How much spice did you put in this?”

“I dunno. Just what was in the recipe. Plus a little cayenne.”

“Felix.”

“Sam.”

“You know you can’t handle extremely spicy food.”

Felix shrugged. “I’m prepared to deal with those consequences. Besides, I’ve got you to comfort me.” Felix smiled innocently as Sam glared at him. Sam grabbed a spoon to taste the pozole and spent a moment processing the flavor and level of spice. He deemed it surprisingly good and turned to smile at his husband. Felix lit up and it was the cutest thing.

“Does this mean I did it right?”

“Yes. Somehow my mouth isn’t on fire and this is edible,” Sam teased.

“Asshole.”

Sam moved closer to pick up Felix and set him in front of the kitchen sink. “Now, don’t you think you should also clean up your mess? You did this for me, after all. I don’t think it would be right to make me clean up your disaster.”

Felix made a face before hurriedly washing all of the dishes and cleaning off the counter tops. Sam kept an eye on the food, taking the time to carefully frost the cake once it was done and cooled. Felix cackled and snuck away to eat the remainder of the frosting by sticking the end of the piping bag directly into his mouth.

“You’re disgusting,” Sam said, taking a small bit of frosting from the cake with his finger like a civilized person.

“Shut up, I’m an innovator. I can eat more frosting this way.” Felix waggled his eyebrows at his husband. “Plus, like this none of it goes to waste.”

Sam rolled his eyes and took the near empty piping bag away from Felix. “How about you go take a quick shower. You’ve got flour all over yourself and somehow there’s cake batter in your hair.” Felix made a face before complying; albeit in his own way by stripping off his clothes on his way to the bathroom. Sam let out an annoyed noise at the mess Felix left behind. But he cooked, so Sam wouldn’t be too annoyed with him.

After Felix exited the shower he was greeted with the sight of two bowls of soup, two plates with a slice of cake on each, and his favorite brand of vodka already in a glass and waiting. Everything was laid out on the coffee table where Sam had set up cushions on the floor and was now fiddling with the TV. He grumbled about there being nothing on to watch other than old Christmas movies and the Hallmark channel (even for him that was too sappy).

“Aww, Sammy, you laid this all out just for me?” Felix asked sweetly, moving to give Sam a kiss on the cheek.

“I figured dinner would go well with a movie, but there’s nothing to watch. I wanted something Christmas-y, but I’m kind of tired of A Christmas Story.”

Felix hummed in thought, then stole the remote and fiddled with it himself. Felix grinned at the sound of Sam’s annoyed groan at the title on the screen.

“Felix… We are not watching Die Hard.”

“Why the hell not?! It’s the perfect Christmas movie! See, it’s got action, drama, and it takes place around the holidays. It’s the best!”

Sam gave his husband a Look™ in response to the puppy eyes he was receiving. Nope, he would not give in to Felix’s ridiculous movie choice. Absolutely not.

Not even if those puppy eyes were incredibly adorable on Felix. 

Nope.

…

Sam’s resolve held out for a miraculous three minutes before his shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh. Felix cheered for his victory and hit play on Die Hard. He settled himself on the cushion beside Sam on the floor, snuggling up close.

“You’re awful,” Sam teased, wrapping an arm around Felix.

“Shhh. Action is gonna happen.” Felix smiled and held Sam’s hand as they ate and watched the movie. “Merry Christmas, Sammy,” he said softly, earning a kiss from the other man.

“I love you too, Isaac.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter where I cover the missing conversations between Dr. Church and Sarge, Simmons and Church, and Church and his dad!
> 
> Thanks for reading and sticking with me this far!!


	7. Bonus: Fatherly Wisdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two dads discussing their grief, cracking jokes, and figuring out how to talk to their kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news everyone! I live!
> 
> Here's the first of three total bonus chapters for y'all! This is the mystery conversation between Dr. Church and Sarge. 
> 
> Fair warning: This chapter will have mentions of shitty parenting, the death of a parent, and some reactions to grief. I will update the tags if asked, but I'll keep a note at the beginning of the chapter to detail what specifically is talked about. Nothing goes into explicit or graphic detail, but I figured this was worth mentioning.
> 
> Thank you for your patience with me! As always all grammar and spelling mistakes are mine. Enjoy! ♥

Sarge really wasn’t looking forward to this talk. After coming back into the house and briefly greeting Lopez and Sheila, Sarge made his way towards the front door where he could hear his husband talking to someone else. By the doorway Dr. Leonard Church was taking off his shoes and coat, making small talk with Butch. Sarge kicked off his own boots as he moved closer to the other men.

“Good to see ya made it, Leo,” Sarge greeted.

Leonard reached out after a brief moment to awkwardly shake Sarge’s hand. “You’ll have to thank David for that. He sent me your address.” Another pause, this one a bit longer, as he looked from Sarge to Cap. “I’d be lyin’ if I said it wasn’t a bit weird to see you two again after so long.”

Cap patted Leonard’s arm, smiling. “Well, we’re glad to have you here. It’s been too long since I’ve seen your face, Leo. You should come over more often.”

“I thought that might get weird,” he replied lamely.

“Nothin’ weird about you wanting someone to hang out with. Better than being cooped up in your house or office all day.” Sarge looked the man up and down. Leonard Church hadn’t changed much in the years since Allison had passed, though he admittedly looked more tired and possibly a bit thinner. The man’s bright green eyes looked a bit more dull as he blinked at Sarge. “C’mon, nerd,” Sarge said playfully. “You and I gotta talk.”

Leonard rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to like this talk, am I.”

Cap patted Leonard on the back, giving what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “A little talk with him won’t kill you.”

Leonard begrudgingly followed Sarge down to the basement, where the other man had set up two glasses of whiskey on the coffee table. The basement door shut behind him and Leonard went to take his seat next to Sarge on the couch. “I feel like you’re about to ground me for something or give me bad news.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic. Just brought you down here for a friendly chat!” Sarge downed his whiskey in one big gulp, Leonard looking on with wide eyes. “So,” Sarge began. “I… uh… I wanted to talk to you about tonight.”

“What specifically about tonight?” He sipped at his whiskey, looking anxious.

“I know David invited ya over, and you’re always welcome around here, but we’ve got Carolina and Church coming over too-”

“You’re worried my son and I are gonna fight again,” Leonard interrupted. 

Sarge made a face. “Not necessarily that you’ll fight… but I’d rather not have to clean up broken glass and pull you two apart again.” He watched as Leonard seemed to crumple a bit and stare into his glass. Sarge scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look… honestly I just wanna know what’s going on between you and Church. Your girl and youngest seem pretty civil, but Church is still… kind of a whiny bitch.”

Leonard laughed humorlessly. “I can’t even disagree with you there, Sarge. He’s just… he’s stubborn. Apple didn’t fall too far from the tree there,” he added with a grumble.

“Ya got that right. Talkin’ to either of you is like trying to give a cat a bath.” Sarge reached over and placed a hand on Leonard’s shoulder. “Look at me, Leo.” He waited until the other man turned. “What the hell is going on between you two?”

He didn’t say anything for a few moments, choosing to be silent and sip at his drink. “I don’t think he got to completely process his mother’s death. I’m sure he blames me for some of that. I wasn’t exactly father of the year after Allison- after she passed.” He spoke softly despite he and Sarge being the only ones around.

Sarge was quiet for a few moments as the gears turned in his head. He knew Allison’s death had been hard, mostly on Leonard and the brats, but he (rather stupidly) didn’t think it had cut so deep. He should have noticed something was wrong when Leonard immediately became more withdrawn after Allison’s funeral. Hell, he’d had Cap to help him cope and process. Leonard was alone with his kids trying to make things work.

“I’m sorry,” Sarge said quietly, startling Leonard a bit.

“Why the hell are  **you** sorry?”

“Butch an’ I could’ve made a better effort to see how you and the kids were coping.”

“You were grieving, too, Sarge.”

“But she was  **your** wife.” Sarge took a steadying breath and gently squeezed Leonard’s shoulder. “Can’t say I’d be alright if somethin’ happened to Butch. Hell, I doubt things woulda turned out the way they did with my kids if that had happened.” He chuckled softly. “Pretty sure we’d have you, Allison, and the gremlins practically living here if either Butch or I didn’t come home.”

That got a small, genuine laugh out of Leonard. A small victory was better than none. “She really loved you two and your kids, y’know. Wouldn’t shut up if I didn’t send photos of our entire brood.”

“I saw some of those! No idea how you managed to get them all to sit still or pay attention to the cameras.”

“Trust me, bribes were thoroughly negotiated. Grif was the most stubborn negotiator,” he said with a small smile.

“The boy takes after his old man,” Sarge stated rather proudly. Say what you would about Sarge and his parenting techniques, there could be no doubt that he really loved his kids.

Leonard let out an exasperated sigh. “Sometimes I wish Church wasn’t so much like me.”

“Hard to raise a kid that’s exactly like you?”

“Not only that, but he’s never had an easy time opening up to me. He’d confide in Allison and talk to her til he was blue in the face. But with everything that happened he’s only become more closed off. Hell, I don’t even think he talks to Carolina and David the way he did with his mother.”

Sarge refilled their glasses. “Maybe you’re goin’ about this the wrong way.”

“Meaning?”

“Look, you can’t just ambush the kid with a talk-”

“Or even my presence, apparently,” Leonard interrupted, grumbling into his glass.

“Shut up, I’m trying to help you here.” After receiving a chilling glare Sarge continued. “You can’t just charge in an’ declare ‘Hey Church, while I’m here you and I are gonna have a chat about why you’ve got such a stick up your ass’!”

“Do you have to yell every time you’re trying to make a point?”

“With you? Yes. Might make the lesson get through your thick skull!” Sarge chuckled a bit despite another chilling glare being aimed his way. He’d been married to Cap long enough that he was almost immune to that look. Almost.

“I’m starting to regret coming here,” Leonard says after draining his glass and setting it down on the coffee table.

“Oh, don’t start that shit with me. I know damn well you’ve been dying to see these brats! Just needed the proper excuse to  **finally** get your skinny ass over here.”

Leonard rolled his eyes. “I’ve already told you-”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re awkward as hell and thought it would be weird. Haven’t you realized by now that we’re basically family? I swear, Leo, you might be the dumbest smart person I know.”

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Really? Shouldn’t Simmons’ sperm donor take that title?” Just that little joke was enough to make Sarge choke on his drink and nearly spill the rest onto his shirt.

“Okay, point made.” A lightbulb seemed to go off in Sarge’s head. “Are you absolutely sure there’s no other reason Church would be pissed at you?”

“I’m pretty sure. Why?” Leonard regretted the words as soon as they’d tumbled out of his mouth.

“Well, some kids can get pissy if their parents start seeing someone else.”

“Okay, that makes absolutely no sense. Carolina, Church, and David are all adults.” A light blush colors Leonard’s cheeks.

Sarge only grins. “C’mon, you can tell me! What’s her name?”

“Sarge-”

“ **His** name?”

“There is no other person!” Leonard nearly screeches. Sarge only laughs at the blush on his friend’s face.

“Alright, alright, if you insist. Can’t believe it’s still this easy to rile you up!” He leaned back against the back of the couch, chuckling as the two of them settled down.

“You’re an asshole, Sarge.”

“Hey, we needed a good laugh and a bit of a distraction from this mess.”

“No,  **you** wanted a laugh and a distraction. I just want to be able to sit in the same room as my children without everyone feeling pissed or uncomfortable. God, help me...”

Sarge made a face. “Oh, Leo, God’s not gonna take a call from you.” Until his dying day Sarge would deny that he’d paled at the venomous glare he’d received from the other man. Could he snap Leonard in half if he wanted to? Yes. But this was a man who’d made a killing developing tech for both medical and military security use. He was clever enough to do some damage if the urge took him. How Leonard hadn’t snapped by now Sarge would never know. “ **Look, all I’m sayin’ is...** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this trails off at the end. That's because it's supposed to lead into the tail end of their conversation that Cap walked into in Chapter 5. For this reason Sarge's final words here are bolded as a sort of call back to the events of that other chapter.
> 
> Re-reading Chapter 5 got me to see that it might be a bit awkward for the reader to go from what is said here and where I had Dr. Church and Sarge talk in Chapter 5. I'm not sure how to make it less weird without rewriting something, so for now I'm leaving everything as is. Hopefully the flow isn't too weird for y'all. I did my best to make it all work. Stay tuned for the reveal of the conversations between Church and Simmons and between Church and his dad!


End file.
